AWEI Impact Indaba
Stellenbosch
South Africa
How can we scale up our impact?
What are we doing that's working? What could we be doing better?
What isn't working so well? What else should we be doing?
At this in-house workshop, the AWEI team, community members, partners, and university colleagues will review our current efforts and explore pathways for more effectively promoting Africa's wildlife economy.
We also most welcome your comments and suggestions. Please email us at awei@sun.ac.za.
Day 1 – AWEI’s current research
08:00-08:30 Registration & coffee
08:30-09:00 Welcome & AWEI’s theory of change
- Objectives of our impact indaba
- AWEI’s Constitution
- AWEI’s evolving theory of change
Insights from our current research
09:00-10:30 Research presentations
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-11:45 Research presentations
11:45-12:30 First panel discussion on research for impact
- Defining impact
- Setting priorities
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:00 Research presentations
15:00-15:30 Coffee break
15:30-16:15 Research presentations
16:15-17:00 Second panel discussion on research for impact
- Embedding a communication strategy
- Embedding stakeholder engagement
- Translating research into enabling policy and best practice
17:00-17:30 Reflections
17:30-19:00 Braai
Day 2 - Scaling up AWEI’s impact in 2026 & beyond
08:00-08:30 Morning coffee
08:30-09:00 AWEI’s approaches to impact
Thought leadership
09:00-09:30 Publications
- What are we doing? What could we be doing?
- Academic papers, commentary, policy briefs, reports
- Our content, other relevant content
- Social media, mailouts, messaging, press releases.
09:30-10:30 Events
- What are we doing? What could we be doing?
- Seminars, workshops, conferences – in-person, virtual
- Hosted by AWEI & engagement in other events
- Social media, mailouts, messaging, press releases
10:00-10:30 Panel discussion on leading the conversation
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
Purposeful partnerships / Stakeholder engagement
11:00-11:30 Current partners – formal and informal
- AWEI’s initial approach to partnerships
- National, provincial, local
- Regional, international
- Private sector, public sector, NGO, academia
11:30-12:00 Developing purposeful partnerships
- Collaborative projects
- Enabling policies
- Best practices
- Funding
12:00-12:30 Panel discussion on priority partnerships
12:30-13:30 Lunch
Collaborative learning / Professional development
13:30-14:00 Current and prospective learning opportunities
- AWEI research community
- Postgraduate studies - taught PGD, MSc, PhD
- Postdocs, Fellows, internships
- Short courses, Professional courses
14:00-14:30 Panel discussion on collaborative learning opportunities
AWEI’s business model
14:30-15:00 The University’s funding streams
- First stream (government subsidy for teaching and learning, and research)
- Second stream (student fees for academic programmes, accommodation, and services)
- Third stream (research grants and contracts)
- Fourth stream (philanthropic donations and bequests)
- Fifth stream (investment income, commercialisation, technology transfer, short courses)
15:00-15:30 Coffee break
15:00-15:30 Panel discussion on funding opportunities
Promising pathways
15:30-16:15 Working groups – Scaling up AWEI’s impact in 2026
16:15-17:00 Panel discussion with report backs from the working groups
17:00-17:30 Closing remarks
17:30-18:30 Reception
